Amnesty International roasted
AMNESTY International (AI) is a useless institution that has a hidden agenda with some imperialist funded opposition political parties in Zambia pushing for regime change, says Lusaka Province PF information and publicity secretary Christopher Shakafuswa.
Mr Shakafuswa said it was not surprising that AI had continued to accuse the Zambian Government of abusing the criminal justice system to silence human rights activists.
But speaking to the Daily Nation yesterday, Mr. Shakafuswa said AI was a hopeless institution which had lost its credibility because it had diverted from its objectives and had become politically-inclined, always agitating for regime change in most countries in Africa.
“Amnesty International has completely lost it. It has now become an institution which the opposition can lean on in demonising the government of the day by portraying Zambia as a bad country. It is sad that this institution has failed to live up to its calling and is instead propagating its hidden agenda by going to bed with the opposition,
“Let them point at one opposition political party or civil society organisation which was blocked from assembling when the atmosphere was conducive for them to do so,
“Were they expecting the police to give express permission for meetings which would degenerate into chaos all in the name of freedom of assembly? This institution has lost its usefulness and credibility,” Mr. Shakafuswa.
He urged the Amnesty International to stop meddling in the country’s internal affairs as Zambia was a sovereign state despite being party to a number of international conventions.
A few days ago AI issued a report in which it stated that 2017 was a terrible year for human rights in Southern Africa where Government leaders like former president of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe and President Edgar Lungu used the criminal justice system to silence human rights activists.
“The space for civil society, human rights defenders, journalists and opposition political parties was increasingly restricted. The authorities continued to use the Public Order Act to prevent political parties and civil society organizations from gathering. Section 5(4) of the Act provided that anyone intending to assemble or convene a public meeting or demonstration was required to give the police seven days’ notice,” reads the report in part.